The invention relates to information and database systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus of storing and accessing data from a database. More particularly still, the invention relates to a method and apparatus of storing and accessing data for a cardiovascular information system.
In hospitals or other healthcare settings, it is frequently necessary to observe critical physiological conditions of a patient, including cardiovascular conditions. Cardiovascular condition data is obtained from sensors applied to a patient, or by imaging and sensing devices. Further, cardiovascular data may be data reported by a cardiologist based on review of a patient or a patient""s monitor or image data. Hospitals or healthcare centers often have hundreds or even thousands of sensor and metering devices and hundreds or even thousands of cardiac patients that require monitoring periodically over a lifetime. This data may potentially be stored in a database for archival functions and later retrieval. However, searching of databases of this type are often difficult and require the programming of complex queries in order to locate the desired data. Furthermore, databases in general also require complex searching techniques in order to locate a desired data set or desired data quantity.
There is a need for a method and apparatus of storing and accessing data in a database that provides simplified searching and querying. Further, there is a need and desire for a method and apparatus for searching and querying a cardiovascular database.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method of storing information in a cardiovascular database. The method includes storing a view data structure configured for structured cardiovascular patient data. The method also includes storing a tag configured to identify cardiovascular patient data element types. Further, the method includes storing a data element associated with a tag, the data element related to cardiovascular patient data associated with the view data structure.
Another exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method of accessing information in a medical database. The method includes querying a medical database for a specified data element meeting a specified condition. The method also includes retrieving a stored view data structure. Further, the method includes processing a plurality of records according to the view, the records including a plurality of tags and associated data elements. Further still, the method includes searching the plurality of records for a specified tag and testing a data element to determine whether the data element meets the specified condition.
Another embodiment of the invention further relates to an apparatus for storing and accessing information across a medical information system network. The apparatus includes a computer including a storage medium, a processor, and a memory. The apparatus also includes a program stored in the memory and running on the processor configured to access the storage medium according to a stored view data structure. The medical records on the storage medium are stored with a series of tags and data values and associated with a stored view and the program is configured to transform records from a transactional framework to an analytical framework.
Yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method of storing information in a database. The method includes storing a view data structure configured for structured data. The method also includes storing a tag configured to identify data element types and storing data elements associated with the tag, the data elements related to data associated with the view data structure.
Still yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method of accessing information in a database. The method includes querying a database for a specified item meeting a specified condition. The method also includes retrieving a stored view data structure and processing a plurality of records according to the view, the records including a plurality of tags and associated items. The method further includes searching the plurality of records for a specified tag and testing an item to determine whether the item meets the specified condition.
Yet still another exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to an apparatus for storing and accessing information. The apparatus includes a computer including a storage medium, a processor, and a memory. The apparatus also includes a program stored in the memory and running on the processor configured to access the storage medium according to a stored view data structure. The records on the storage medium are stored with a series of tags and data values and associated with a stored view. The program is configured to transform records from a transactional framework to an analytical framework.